Concealed mounting for autonomous vehicle sensor

ABSTRACT

A lidar unit is mounted to an autonomous vehicle within an existing rear side window opening. An opaque inner panel blocks light, while the exterior window covers and protects the lidar unit, maintaining the original appearance and aerodynamic form of the vehicle exterior, in conjunction with the opaque inner panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §371 of publishedPCT Patent Application Number PCT/US2016/16045, filed 2 Feb. 2016 andpublished as WO2016/126626 11 Aug. 2016, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/112,783, filed Feb. 6, 2015,the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to mountings for autonomous vehiclesensors, and specifically to a mounting in which a sensor isenvironmentally protected, aerodynamic, and visually unobtrusive.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Typically, in autonomous vehicles, the large number of necessary sensorsneeded around the perimeter of the vehicle are mounted on exteriorbrackets located wherever the optimal sensor location may be, withoutconsidering aerodynamics, environmental protection, or visualunobtrusiveness. It would be desirable to accommodate all three of theseconcerns if it could be done so while maintaining a near optimallocation of the sensor or sensors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment described herein, a sensor located on the sideof a vehicle is mounted behind and within a vehicle body exterior panelthat visually blends in with the exterior of the vehicle, but which hasat least a portion that is sufficiently transparent to the sensingmedium of the sensor (laser light, radar, etc) to allow it to operate.Specifically, a rear side window is replaced with a panel that has acentral, transparent subportion, behind which the sensor is mounted, andan opaque border matching that typically found in a window. The sensoris contained between the front panel and a rear cover that protects andcovers it from the vehicle interior, and which also helps mask thesensor from the outside and helps to maintain its unobtrusive visualimpact.

Further features and advantages will appear more clearly on a reading ofthe following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which isgiven by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear side perspective view of a vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a rear side window opening on the samevehicle, with a sensor installed but uncovered;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the sensor covered;

FIG. 4 is a view of the cover panel alone, showing the sensor locationin a dotted line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical cross over style vehicle 10, although thatis a non limiting example and other body styles are possible. A rearside window 12 is present, behind the rear passenger window 14, but istypically more to provide some illumination to the rear cargo space thana view out for a passenger. Window 12 is often tinted to match or blendwell with the basic color of the vehicle, and serves an aestheticpurpose as much as a utilitarian one, as an uninterrupted metal panel inthat location would give the vehicle more of a commercial appearance,undesirable in a personal vehicle. Window 12 is weather tight, ofcourse, and its inner surface perimeter is often provided with an inchor two wide band of paint or “frit” to mask the metal body frame towhich it is installed, typically by an adhesive bead. The outer surfaceof window 12, as well as all of the other widows and body panels may besaid to define a vehicle outer surface in general, which it is desirableto maintain as uninterrupted as possible by any sensor mountingarrangements, for both aerodynamic and aesthetic reasons.

Referring next to FIG. 2, a rear window opening 16 in the vehicle bodycomprises a perimeter flange of whatever vehicle body material is usedin the particular vehicle, typically stamped metal. Conventionally, thewindow 12 would simply be mounted to it, as described above. But, here,it is used as a convenient location for a sensor, specifically a lidarsensor 18. While the invention is not limited to such a sensor, it is atypical one in the location indicated for autonomous vehicles. LIDAR isnot an acronym, as is commonly believed, but is shorthand for LightDetection and Ranging, an amalgam of Light and Radar. In effect, it is aranging radar that uses laser light instead of radio waves. LIDAR usesultraviolet, visible or near infrared light to image objects, and iscapable of doing so with a very high level of resolution. Two types ofpulse models are available, micropulse, and high energy, with the lowerenergy, “eye safe” systems being preferable for mobile sensingapplications, as here. The particular LIDAR device 18 used here, thoughthe invention is not limited to such, is an ibeo LUX 2010 Laserscanner.It is of the general type described above, and is defined by arectangular prism, with a length L of approximately 150 mm, a width W ofapproximately 90 millimeters (at the front) and a depth D ofapproximately 90 mm. To work properly, it needs a solid mounting andmust be able to emit and receive its light signal.

Still referring to FIG. 2, a structurally solid and opaque inner panel20, of rigid formed plastic or the like, and preferably black or dark,is fixed solidly in or to the window opening 16 so as to substantiallyfill it and prevent the transmission of light in or out of vehicle 10,but for a central opening 22 within which the lidar may be fixed. Aconcave depression 24 formed around opening 22 allows the lidar unit 18to be mounted further back within the vehicle interior while still beingunobstructed in terms of emitting and receiving its light signal.

Referring next to FIGS. 3 and 4, The mounting for lidar unit 18 iscompleted by an exterior panel, indicated generally at 26 which, atleast in the embodiment disclosed, may be essentially identical to therear side window 12 that it replaces. Fundamentally, exterior panel 26serves the function of sealing the window opening 16 weather tight,while matching the pre existing exterior surface contour to maintainaerodynamics and appearance. The central area 28 of panel 26 istransmissive to whatever signal the enclosed sensor emits and receives,in this case, light, and so is sufficiently transparent to light in thecase of a lidar unit 18. Central area 28 could be tinted so as to helpmatch the existing color scheme of the vehicle exterior, and still besufficiently transparent. In the case of a radar unit or the like panel26 could be completely opaque, and formed of any suitable material forthe passing of the signal involved. In the case of a nearly transparentcentral area 28, an opaque or nearly opaque border 30 is formed aroundthe inner surface perimeter, which serves to mask the window opening 16to which the panel 26 is attached, typically by an adhesive bead.Especially in the case where the central 28 area is nearly transparent,the opaque inner panel 20 helps to maintain the visual unobtrusivenessof the mounting by preventing the passage of light into or out of theexterior of the vehicle interior. Even in the case where the sensorenclosed did not rely on visible light, a transparent central area 28could help to maintain the original visible appearance of the vehicle 10in conjunction with the opaque inner panel 20.

While this invention has been described in terms of the preferredembodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but ratheronly to the extent set forth in the claims that follow.

1. A concealed mounting assembly for a sensor in an autonomously drivenvehicle, said mounting comprising: a sensor that emits and receives asensing signal, a vehicle body having a pre-defined outer surface, anopening in said body outer surface, an opaque panel mounted within saidopening inboard of said vehicle body outer surface, said sensor beingmounted within said opening so as be able to emit and receive withoutinterference from said opaque panel while is blocked from passingthrough said opening to and from the exterior of the vehicle, and, anexterior panel fixed to the vehicle so as to seal the opening from theexterior and having at least a portion transmissive to the signal of thesensor, so that said sensor may operate while being substantiallyvisibly concealed.
 2. The mounting in accordance with claim 1, whereinsaid sensor relies on visible light, and said exterior panel includes asubstantially transparent central area.
 3. The mounting in accordancewith claim 2, in which said opening is defined by a perimeter flange andsaid exterior panel contains a substantially opaque border masking saidwindow opening flange.
 4. The mounting in accordance with claim 1, inwhich said opening comprises a rear side window opening, and saidexterior panel comprises the original rear side window.